consciousness

con·scious·ness

noun \-nəs\

Definition of CONSCIOUSNESS

1

a : the quality or state of being aware especially of something within oneself

b : the state or fact of being conscious of an external object, state, or fact

c : awareness; especially : concern for some social or political cause

2

: the state of being characterized by sensation, emotion, volition, and thought : mind

3

: the totality of conscious states of an individual

4

: the normal state of conscious life <regained consciousness>

5

: the upper level of mental life of which the person is aware as contrasted with unconscious processes

Examples of CONSCIOUSNESS

1. The medication caused her to enter an altered state of consciousness.
2. The events have become part of the national consciousness.
3. He hopes that he can raise public consciousness of the disease.

First Known Use of CONSCIOUSNESS

1629

Related to CONSCIOUSNESS

Synonyms

advertence, advertency, awareness, cognizance, attention, ear, eye, heed, knowledge, mindfulness, note, notice, observance, observation

Related Words

hyperawareness, hyperconsciousness; advisement, care, concern, consideration, regard, watch; apprehension, discernment, grasp, mind, perception, recognition, thought, understanding

Near Antonyms

disregard, neglect, obliviousness, unawareness

Other Psychology Terms

fetish, hypochondria, intelligence, mania, narcissism, neurosis, pathological, psychosis, schadenfreude, subliminal

con·scious·ness

noun \ˈkän-chə-snəs\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of CONSCIOUSNESS

1

: the totality in psychology of sensations, perceptions, ideas, attitudes, and feelings of which an individual or a group is aware at any given time or within a given time span <altered states of consciousness, such as sleep, dreaming and hypnosis—Bob Gaines>

2

: waking life (as that to which one returns after sleep, trance, or fever) in which one's normal mental powers are present <the ether wore off and the patient regained consciousness>

3

: the upper part of mental life of which the person is aware as contrasted with unconscious processes

consciousness

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Quality or state of being aware. As applied to the lower animals, consciousness refers to the capacity for sensation and, usually, simple volition. In higher animals, this capacity may also include thinking and emotion. In human beings, consciousness is understood to include “meta-awareness,” an awareness that one is aware. The term also refers broadly to the upper level of mental life of which the person is aware, as contrasted with unconscious processes. Levels of consciousness (e.g., attention vs. sleep) are correlated with patterns of electrical activity in the brain (brain waves). See also philosophy of mind.